UNIA wants criteria for Four-Plus program changed

GLACE BAY — Officials with the Universal Negro Improvement Association wants to change the criteria for the Four Plus program, which prepares disadvantaged African Canadian students to enter the school system.

UNIA board member Al Moore said five African Canadian students and two students from low income families registered for the program last fall, but the UNIA was told there has to be eight African Canadian students in order for the program to go ahead, so it was cancelled.

Moore said a program should not be segregated on the basis of race. He said the criteria should state ‘African Canadian students first regardless of numbers and low income children next.’

“This is a multicultural society, that is the way it should be,” he said. “If we could allow other students in, we could have filed this three times.”

Although the purpose of the program is to prepare African Canadian students for entering Grade Primary, “We would fulfil that mandate by simply saying we register African Canadian students first.”

The Four Plus program began 12 years ago, speared headed by a community group and funded by the Department of Education's African Canadian Services Division and the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board. After the community group disbanded, the UNIA became involved to assist with registrations.

Lynn Crawford, co-ordinator of race relations and cross-cultural understanding with the school board, said she has been ill, but will soon contact Moore to talk about the program.

Crawford explained that if the Four Plus program’s criteria is altered, the funding will have to come from a different source.

“The school board only kicks in their half because the African Canadian Services Division puts in their half. The money was targeted to support African Canadian children ... to try and give them sort of a head start,” she said.

She said in the fall of 2012 there were only two applications which were fully completed on behalf of African Canadian students.

Charles Sheppard, the board's co-ordinator of school services, said at an earlier date if the criteria was met there was a chance the program could be reinstated, but it would be a decision to be made by the African Canadian Services Division in consultation with the school board.